I am four months pregnant (first child), should I be saving up money for when the baby comes?

Mom Answers

I would save money but don't buy any diapers, wipes or food just yet. If you are 4 months pregnant, you have 5 months to go and let's say you feed your baby solids at 5 month. That's babyfood sitting ni your cabinets for almost a year!
Buying diapers could be a huge waste right now. What if a particular brand doesn't work for him/her? you are stuck with bags of diapers and you are out of money. Same goes for wipes.
Right now, start going to different baby websites and registering for coupons (Pampers, huggies, similac etc).
With my first baby, I bought a gift card to target or babiesrus. Every time I went to either store I would put an extra $5-25 on it. Throughout my pregnancy it really added up!
Another tip is if you are having a baby shower, register for stuff beyond the baby's first 4 months of life. Register for sippy cups, high chair, bibs, spoons & a convertible car seat. Registering at places like Babies R Us & Target is good because they'll send you coupons.

Absolutely! Though many things are easily covered for the first year of a baby's life, be sure you have enough money saved up for Doctor's visits (Planned and emergencies) as well as enough for formula or other necessities. Saving the money now will not only save you a headache when the baby comes, but prepare you and get you in the habit of having that money on hand after the baby is here. I managed to have about $300 on hand for those "just in case" moments (like baby totally ruining an outfit while we were out shopping and not having an extra in the diaper bag at the time) Start saving now so you have peace of mind later.

Saving money is definitely a good idea, but the best thing I did before my son was born was to stock up like crazy on household goods. It was nice not to have to run out for shampoo, paper towels, and garbage bags, etc... I can tell you I certainly did not have the time or energy for a trip to Wal Mart until he was a couple of months old.

you should save as much as possible. also, buy as many things as you can from places like mom-to-mom sales, consignment shops, AND special group sales like the ones that happen twice a year for the Parents of multiple births association. the only thing you REALLY need to buy new is a car seat. consider on that will grow with your baby, from 5-80lbs rather than the smaller version that comes with a travel set. also, make sure if you buy a second hand crib that it meets the current safety standards. and try your best to breastfeed if at all possible, it may be difficult in the beginning but it can be very rewarding both emotionally and financially since formula is REALLY expensive.

I was't planning on a baby so I didn't save. The day I found out I was blessed with such an amazing gift, I opened a savings account for the baby. This is my "big expense" emergency fund as well as saving for the baby's future. I recommend checking out Capital One. I have a savings account earning 5% for the baby. I deposit about $200 per month. It sounds like a lot, but it's worthit. Definitely get a memebershipt at the bulk stores like CostCo or Sams Club. It will help to buy stuff like forumla in bulk later. IF you aren't a couponm collector now, start practicing, it really adds up. Try it with just stuff you need and see what the difference is. Also remember "Top of the Line" doesn't always mean the best, sometimes you are just paying for the name. Be smart, try getting the generic brands, they work just as well. Your baby doesn't need to be wearing Baby Gap, get over the name brand must haves and spend a little more time finding the less expensive stuff that is just as cute.

Cranky critics......
Definitely start saving as much as you can... you never know what little "emergencies" you might run into! Coupon clipping and registering over the net is a fantastic way to save lotsa $$!
Also, don't spend too much of your own $ on things like baby clothes- you will get tons of that stuff from family and friends.
I am always amazed at how critical some of you ladies can be... not everyone can save cash before getting prego... some of us are blessed with our little surprises and are perfectly happy with that!
So, anyway... save your change, pinch some pennies and make sure you are registered for the things you need!!!!
Good luck!

Yes, start saving now, or start stocking up. If you have a little extra cash, buy some diapers, wipes, and laundry detergent. Baby food is cheap, and if you pick up a jar or 2 when you are out, that is only a few dollars now, instead of spending $20 all at once. It is also better to be stocked up then to run out. Remember, too, if you get monetary gifts or gift cards, keep them for an emergency. You never know when you might be a little short on cash and need diapers, baby food, or an outfit for a special occasion. Also, don&#8217;t be afraid to try store brand. Wal-mart diapers are very similar to Huggies and almost half the price.

You should definitely save save save. I saved about $5,000 for when my baby was born, and it was gone within 6 months or so. Just buying necessities like diapers and formula made it worth it to have the extra cash. Besides that, I stayed home an extra 6 weeks (14 weeks altogether), and was not paid for 4 weeks. It really helped me have a cushion for when I was not receiving short term disability pay. Also, there are always incidental costs, such as buying bottles, nipples, stuff to wash the bottles and nipples, and things that you may not have gotten at a baby shower. A baby carrier, for instance, can cost over $150. That is no small expense!

Everyone should be saving money. Having a back-up fund is really important. However there really isn't any reason to save just for the baby. If you have a good income or a strong network of family support, the cost of having a child should not be that high. We got everything we needed from family and friends, I breastfeed my daughter, make baby food at home and use cloth diapers. We bought things when we needed them instead of before the baby was born, we also wait to see what kinds of gifts we got from family and friends. The most expensive thing we purchased was a breastpump, but it's already more then paid for itself. I've also only purchased 5 or 6 items of clothing for my daughter, everything else was purchased by members of our family.

Yes!! But also if you can at least buy diapers and wipes and the stuff that you need NO mater what! tape the proof of perches to the bag/box of diapers and the when if you need to get a dif size you can. Get you basic meds for baby now, laundry soap,bath soaps, get everything you think you need! And if you are going to be given a shower ask for it to be sooner than later... this way you can fill in the blanks and have time to do so! ps get ice packs that bend of your breasts if your going to nurse or not one way or another you will be full and this WILL help!Yes call your ped. (if you dont have one get one NOW!) get the list of times (when they are first born you go at 2 weeks, 1 mth,2mths & so on) when your Dr wants you to take them and then take that by 2! then fig out what your office co pay id, put that away now. (plus other meds) if you have flex spending cards at work this is great! look into it you can even get your pump on them! the are more money then cute! but worth it all!!!

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